Turning pages, changing lives – How the humanities teach us to live in uncertain times

When Sophie Gee’s husband was suddenly rushed to hospital, her life was plunged into uncertainty.  

Amid the chaos, she discovered a surprising source of strength: her study of classic literature, and in particular, the works of Jane Austen. 

Sophie, who was Associate Chair of the English Department at Princeton until she came to the University of Sydney as a Vice-Chancellor's Fellow, says stories have made her more resilient. “Literature teaches us how to be uncertain, how to tolerate discomfort, how to tolerate difficulty,” she says. 

Arts and humanities degrees sometimes get a bad rap, but Sophie argues they are more valuable than ever in the age of AI.  

She says stories cut through in a way science cannot – just look at the documentary My Octopus Teacher – and equip you with the skills you need to have “truly transformational ideas”. 

 “Storytelling is one of the most important ways to have access and equity to new pathways. If you’re able to tell your story, you’re able to change your life.”  

She also makes the case for returning to old favourites, whether it’s Shakespeare or Harry Potter. And she weighs in on the value of Book Tok. 

Sophie Gee is an alumna and a Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Sydney. 

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The Solutionists is podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

Sourcing/credit: My Octopus Teacher is a Netflix series and we thank Kaylie for her Book Tok example. Find her on Tik Tok @under_thebelljar  

This episode was produced by Monique Ross with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. The executive producer is Kellie Riordan. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Thanks to the technical staff at the at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Media Room. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

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